


The Most Amazing Atobe

by Lumeleo



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Break Up, Deaf Character, FtM Atobe Keigo, Future Fic, Kid Fic, M/M, Making Up, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22113019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: Years after breaking off his relationship with Atobe, Sanada finds himself attending a party on the Atobe estate. As it turns out, Atobe is not the most interesting thing he finds there. Not Atobe Keigo, anyway.Apparently he left Atobe with a bit more than just memories.
Relationships: Atobe Keigo/Sanada Genichirou
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14
Collections: Variations on a Theme (The Theme is Tango Pair and kids)





	The Most Amazing Atobe

As soon as he saw the name on his phone screen, Sanada was tempted to simply ignore the call.

He knew that wouldn’t work, not when he was dealing with someone so stubborn. Eventually he would have to answer the call, unless he wanted to deal with Atobe bugging him forever and ever. Even so, it was very tempting to consider that he might be able to avoid Atobe just for now. If nothing else, it would mean he wouldn’t have to struggle against getting dragged back in.

Gathering his will, Sanada finally answered the call, bringing the phone to his ear. “What?”

“Sanada.” Atobe’s voice sounded sharp, as though offended at being made to wait. Well, too bad for him. “We need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” Sanada grunted. “I’ve said everything I have to say. I’m not interested in you trying to coax me back.” God knew he’d given in more than once, and didn’t need to go through that circle yet again.

“This is important.”

“Actually important, or just important to you?” As he was met with silence, Sanada snorted. “Thought so. Now, I do not want to hear from you again, about anything. I’m done dealing with your bullshit.”

There was another moment of silence. When Atobe did speak, he sounded hurt and angry, but that was to be expected. Sanada wouldn’t let himself be swayed. “Very well. I will not contact you again.”

“Thank you.” With that, he ended the call, muting his phone in case Atobe forgot his promise right away. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

For once, though, Atobe respected his wishes. Sanada did not hear from him again, not even indirectly. A month later they both graduated from high school, and after this, the rumor mill informed him Atobe had moved back overseas. There were moments when he was tempted to reach out instead, remembering the better times, when he’d actually been happy with Atobe. However, he managed to work his way through such moments without falling into that trap.

He was done circling the black hole of attention that was Atobe Keigo.

*

Even as he approached the gates of the Atobe mansion, Sanada had half a mind to turn back.

He knew he wasn’t going to, not when he’d already told his friends he would be there. However, the closer he got, the more the pure presence of Atobe was starting to get to him. It had been years since he’d last even seen Atobe, but getting closer, it all came crashing back, the good and the bad alike. Ah, well. With a party this size, it should be easy enough to avoid Atobe. He would just take the opportunity to catch up with his friends and try not to cause drama.

From the gossip he knew more or less everyone from the old tennis circuit had been invited, and everyone who could make it was coming just to see everyone again. Whatever his grudges with Atobe, Sanada had to admit Atobe could throw an excellent party, even if the invitation had been rather, ah, much.

You are cordially invited to join us in celebrating the arrival of the most amazing Atobe to Japan, food and drinks will be provided. It was so painfully typical of Atobe, Sanada could only shake his head and chuckle.

A servant in an impeccable uniform checked his invitation and welcomed him in at the door, encouraging him to mingle until the main celebration. The place was already filled with people, and more were arriving all the time. Atobe clearly had gone all out in putting together the guest list.

Sanada accepted a drink from a passing waiter, then wandered about to see if he could spot any familiar faces in the crowd. This sort of social thing wasn’t his forte, but he did appreciate the opportunity to speak with old acquaintances he hadn’t seen in a while.

After making his rounds for a while, he took refuge in a mostly empty side room. He needed a moment to gather himself if he wanted to make it through the entire party, never mind facing the force of nature that was Atobe. Even after all these years, he knew it would be hard to resist the draw of Atobe, for all that Atobe had probably completely forgotten about him.

Finishing his drink, Sanada occupied himself with studying the room he was in. It was like something straight out of a storybook palace, with shining floors and huge windows that stretched from floor to ceiling framed by thick drapes. It seemed entirely surreal, yet in the Atobe mansion it was simply a side space to allow for easier flow of guests.

When he first saw one of the curtains moving, Sanada thought he simply imagined it. After a moment, though, there was another small movement, impossible to ignore. The drapes were heavy, but not enough so to hide a person. Not a fully grown one, anyway.

Walking closer, Sanada paused for a moment, then reached to pull the curtain aside. He found himself staring down at a little girl, probably no older than four or five.

They stared at each other for a moment, no doubt both just as surprised. As he managed to get over his worst shock, Sanada crouched down to get to her level. She looked somewhat familiar, though he couldn’t exactly place how. Had one of the guests brought their child along?

“Hi.” He wasn’t terribly good with children, but he figured he had to at least try. “Are you lost?”

The girl looked puzzled at his question, tilting her head. As she did so, Sanada caught a glimpse of a small apparatus in her ear. A hearing aid?

“Are you lost?” he repeated, making sure to speak loud and clear. Now, the girl smiled, then shook her head.

“Not lost!” She grinned, stepping out from behind the curtain and doing a little spin. She was wearing a rather fancy dress, clearly all dressed up for the party. “Wait for Papa!”

Sanada frowned. As he had thought, then. “Who is your Papa?” Maybe he could help her find her father before there was too much of a scene. He didn’t want to think Atobe would get angry at a child, never mind one with a disability, but he also knew Atobe did not deal well with having to share the spotlight. It would be the best for everyone if Sanada could resolve this without drawing too much attention.

As soon as he’d decided this, though, he heard a dog barking somewhere nearby. Now, a child getting brought in was one thing, but he doubted anyone would have been so bold as to bring a pet. As such, the dog had to belong to the house, which meant…

He didn’t exactly shove the kid behind the curtain, but he did adjust the curtain’s position to cover her from view from the door. He stood up not a moment too late, as a very familiar man walked in, followed by a happily barking dog.

Atobe had changed, and yet not. He looked more adult now, which wasn’t too surprising, but the confident smirk and the ridiculously expensive outfits were nothing new. His hair was longer, pulled back into a neat ponytail, and he’d had his ears pierced at some point. Yet somehow, even with such appearance choices, he looked very manly indeed.

Calm down, Sanada. This was not the time to be distracted.

“Atobe.” He gave a curt nod, trying not to be too obviously tense. “Ah. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Thank you for coming.” Well, at least he didn’t get some snarky comment. That was progress. “I’d love to stop and chat, but I’m actually looking for someone.”

Before Sanada could say anything, the curtain next to him moved. The girl jumped out, a beaming smile on her face. “Papa!”

“Mayu-chan!” Atobe crouched down just in time for her to rush over to hug him, the dog running happy circles around the two of them. Once the girl drew back, Atobe spoke, his hands moving alongside the words. “Why did you run off? You know you should stick with me or Uncle Kabaji with so many people around!”

“Sorry.” She didn’t look terribly sorry. She then started signing back at Atobe, her little hands moving fast. Atobe didn’t seem to have any problem with keeping up, though, nodding in apparent understanding.

“Sanada?” Atobe looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Why is my daughter telling me you tried to hide her?”

“Ah.” Sanada flushed. “I… didn’t know she was your daughter.” Which he realized was hardly enough of an explanation, so he had to clarify. “I thought she’d come along with a guest, and you might get angry if you saw her.”

Atobe’s eyebrows rose even higher. “I would ask why you would have such a lowly opinion of me, but I suppose it’s fair enough.” He stood up as the girl turned to play with the dog, apparently distracted. “I did not exactly give you the best impression of me back then.”

“Hn.” Sanada wasn’t going to argue. It would have been quite useless to claim that Atobe had been entirely without flaws. “I did not realize you had children.”

“Just the one, but she’s the best child ever, so it’s not like I’m missing out. Her name is Mayu.” Atobe smiled as he glanced at the child. “With ‘yu’ written with the character for excellence.”

Sanada paused. “…And ‘ma’?” There were a few possibilities, but the first one to come to mind was rather familiar.

“I do believe you already know the answer.” Atobe gave him a wry smile. “I never was good at subtlety.”

“The same as in Sanada, then.” Sanada swallowed. “I… how?”

“Turns out, testosterone is not a hundred percent reliable birth control method.” Atobe shrugged. “I went overseas, had her while I was getting started on my university studies, then had the relevant parts removed for good measure. I’m not ashamed of her, but I also had no desire to be outed in such a manner.”

“Right.” That, at least, was quite understandable. Atobe was a man, and Sanada would fight anyone stupid enough to claim otherwise, but he knew there were still those who could not see beyond the rudimentary biology of the matter. “Why didn’t you —” He cut himself off before he could finish the question, as he was hit by the nauseating realization he probably already knew the answer to that, too.

“You did make it clear you didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.”

“I’m sorry.” It was altogether too little and far too late, but it was all he could offer.

“I don’t blame you.” Sanada’s disbelief must have shown, because Atobe chuckled. “Oh, back then, I very much did, especially when my little princess was born premature with a myriad of health problems and I was feeling utterly overwhelmed. However, that also forced me to grow up. Looking back, I can’t blame you. I was an utter brat, and it’s a miracle you put up with my antics as long as you did.”

“Hn.” He could have said something, could have claimed Atobe hadn’t been that bad, but he did prefer honesty. Besides, Atobe would have known he was lying if he’d tried to argue. Instead, he decided to approach the other point of interest in what Atobe had said. “What health problems?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. Weak heart, underdeveloped lungs, small size. Most of that’s cleared up by now, though she’s still small for her age and will be dealing with asthma for the rest of her life. She’s also deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, so she’s obviously somewhat behind in her spoken language skills.” Atobe glanced at his daughter with a fond smile. “She’s a terrible chatterbox when signing, though, and smart as a whip. I don’t recommend getting into a debate with her, she’ll run circles around you.”

“Granted, debates were never my strong point.” Which had been one of the points of friction in their relationship. Atobe was very verbally skilled and Sanada preferred actions to words. As such, any argument they’d had always ended with Atobe getting the last word, since there was no way Sanada could have used his own strength in a fight with his lover.

“Yes, I seem to recall.” It could have been an insult, but Atobe sounded almost… amicable. “As such, I’d like to suggest we have a nice and calm conversation instead, either tonight after the party or another day, if you’d prefer.”

“Hn.” As much as he’d planned on avoiding Atobe so there wouldn’t be drama, clearly the circumstances had changed. And, quite possibly, so had Atobe. “About… her?”

“Among other things.” Atobe nodded. “We will be staying in Tokyo for the foreseeable future. As such, I would not be opposed if you wanted to have a part in her life.”

“…I would like that.” He’d walked in here without any idea that she even existed, yet now he desperately wanted to get to know her better. “What other things?”

“How we are going to handle being around each other, for one thing, since it’s going to be inevitable if you want to get to know Mayu-chan. I know we didn’t part on the best terms, but I’d also like to think we have both grown up since then.”

“I’m inclined to agree.” Sanada paused. “Ah. What are you hoping for?”

“For now? For my daughter to get to know her other father.” Atobe paused. “And perhaps, if you would allow, for a chance to prove that I have indeed changed.”

“I suppose that is… not out of the question.” Sanada nodded. “Ah. Tonight would be fine, assuming the party does not go on for too long.”

“And on that note, I should probably get us all to the dinner part of the night.” Atobe turned towards his daughter, waving his hand to get her attention. “Mayu-chan? Let’s go.” She ceased her playing with the dog, both of them rushing up to Atobe’s side.

Sanada trailed after the three, not entirely sure what to expect but knowing that following Atobe would be his best bet of staying abreast of anything that happened. This led to him arriving at the main party hall, which was full of former — and, in some cases, current — tennis players.

Atobe marched up to the head of the room, his daughter and dog happily following along. There was a small dais set up at the end of the room, enough that when Atobe stepped up he would no doubt be visible even across the crowd. Sanada was not too surprised to see that Atobe simply lifted his hand, snapping his fingers, and silence fell over the chattering crowd like a wave. Even before they ever dated, he’d always had a grudging respect for Atobe’s ability to take control of any crowd in an instant.

“First of all, I’d like to welcome everyone I haven’t managed to personally meet yet, and thank you all for accepting my invitation. I do hope you have enjoyed your time so far, and continue to do so throughout the evening.” With everyone else staying quiet, Atobe’s voice carried easily over the large space. “For now, I would like to address the reason I invited you all here.”

This caused a murmur of chuckles. Atobe waited with rather surprising patience until everyone quieted down again.

“I’ve noticed some of you are under the impression I’ve invited all these people here simply to celebrate my own magnificence. Now, while I am certainly worthy of such celebration, I’m afraid this is a misunderstanding.” Sanada lifted his eyebrows. He’d thought the invitation had been rather clear on that. “I’d like you all to recall the wording of the invitation. If I wanted you to come here for my sake, I would have mentioned my return to Japan, rather than my arrival.”

Sanada blinked, realization dawning. The same must have applied to the people close enough to see Mayu-chan standing next to the dais, whispers starting to travel through the crowd. Atobe ignored all this, turning to pick up Mayu-chan in his arms.

“Friends, foes, and everyone else. I would like you to meet Atobe Mayu-chan, my daughter and without a doubt the most amazing Atobe to ever grace this world with her presence.”

Atobe nuzzled Mayu’s cheek, making her giggle. She then turned towards the crowd, giving them a beaming smile. Sanada realized with a quiet ache that her smile was the exact same as his mother’s whenever she was truly happy about something. “Hi!” She waved with both hands. “I’m Mayu!”

Atobe looked at her with a proud grin that outshone any sort of triumph he had ever achieved on a tennis court, and Sanada knew with utter certainty that he would never get away from Atobe. Not when this proud, beautiful, impossible man could make his heart skip a beat just by smiling so.

Perhaps this time, though, it would all work out.


End file.
